Refrigerating apparatus



Nov. 15, 1932. J. G. KING 1,837,558

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 31, 1928 a Sheet-Sheet 1 Nov. 15, l 932.

.1. G KING REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 31, 1928 3 I Z v I gfl-vc'ntoz d I Q E 101 0: m2 q s Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED I STATES- PATENT OFFICE man a. me, or nnrron, onro, assronon '10 riarornamn qonronn'rron, or

. DAYTON, 0310, A conronn'rron or nnmwaan REFRIGEBATING APPARATUS Application filed October 81, 1928. Serial No. 316,273.

This invention relates torefrigerating apparatus and more particularly to an insulated and refrigerated tank provided with means for cooling its contents.

An object of this invention is to provide an insulated tank having refrigerant evaporating means placed within the tank which means may be removed through the cover of the tank.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tank with refrigerant evaporating means, the refrigerant evaporating means being so supported that it may be removed without the necessity of emptying the entire 16 contents of the tank.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In' the drawings:

Fi 1 is a top plan view of a tank embodylng features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view with parts in cross section of a slightly modified form of this invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of refrigerant evaporating means embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is another vertical cross section taken 85 transversely to Fig. 5 with the float control omitted; and V Fig. 7 is a vertical cross sectional view of a modified form of this invention.

An apparatus embodying features of this invention may include an insulated tank generally designated as 20 which may be rectangular in horizontal cross section, with insulation on the sides and bottom. This insulated tank may be provided with a refrigerant evaporator generally designated as 21. The refrigerant evaporator may be part of a mechanical and automatic refrigerating apparatus. The refrigerating apparatus may include any suitable type of refrigerant liquefying means such as an electrically driven compressor, not shown, which may deliver compressed refrigerant to a condenser, not shown, from whence the liquefied refrigerant may be delivered through the pipe 22 to the evaporating means 21. The evaporated refrigerant may be returned through the pipe 23 to the compressor. Any type of automatic control for stopping and starting the electrically driven compressor may ,be used. For instance, a snap switch, not shown, operated by an expansible bellows, not shown, connected to the pipes 23 may be used for starting and stopping the electrically driven compressor. The parts not shown are in common use and hence it is deemed unnecessary atpresent to illustrate the same on the drawmgs.

In one embodiment of this invention the tank 20 may he the tank of an ice cream cabinet. Thus, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an ice cream cabinet may be provided with a metal insulated tank 30 supported by a top frame member 31, which may be made of wood if desired. The top frame member 31 may be supported by a box-like metal framework 32, which may include vertical and horizontal corner angle irons suitably joined at their ends as by welding or riveting. The tank 30 may be provided with a metallic cover 33 and within the tank may be placed a body of ordinary noncongealable liquid 34, such as a solution of calcium chloride or a solution of alcohol. The cover 33, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may include a downwardly directed rectangular or box-like recess 35, which recess may be provided with a horizontal bottom 36. The bottom 36, as part of the cover 33, may be provided with an opening 37, through which opening the refrigerant evaporating means, which is inside of the tank 30, may be removed. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 the refrigerant evaporating means which cools the liquid in the tank 30 may include a plurality of downwardly directed tubes 38. These tubes 38 may be supported from a plate 39 on top of which may be placed a boiler 40, for instance of cylindrical shape, in which is located a float mechanism ll adaptedto control a valve member 42 which controls the entrance of refrigerant from the pipe 22. A refrigerant return funnel 43 may be connected to the pipe 23. Members 41, 42 and 43 may be mounted on a removable plate 44 in the manner shown in the patent to R. G. Osborn, No. 1,556,708, patented Oct. 13, 1925, so that the members 41*, 42 and 43 may be removed as a unit with the plate 44 from the cylindrical boiler for repair or adjustment.

The refrigerant evaporating means, when it includes a boiler, may have the boiler inside of the tank to be refrigerated. The boiler may be placed outside of the tank, however, and when soplaced, the boiler may not be part of the evaporating means and the name boiler is only applicable to indicate its shape. When it is desired to place the boiler 40 outside of the tank, however, the plate 39 may be soldered to the boiler 40, which may be cylindrical if desired, by any suitable means such as by a suitable solder. The boiler 40 may be provided with a long opening 45 along the bottom. The depending pipes 38 may be soldered to the plate 39 so thatwhen the plate 39 is secured to the boiler 40 a complete passage is provided between the-boiler 40 and the tubes 38. The tubes 38, as one form of the invention, may be downwardly looped with their two ends secured to the plate 39 as shown in Fig. 6. a It is thus seen that the refrigerant evaporating means for the tank, which in Fig. 2 includes the pipes 38, are placed within the tank 30. The

opening 37 in the metal cover 33 is closed.

by the plate 39 with a gasket interposed there between and secured by means of the bolts 41 if desired. The refrigerant evaporating means 38 may be removed through the opening 37 after the opening 37 has been uncovered by the removal of the plate 39. It is to be seen that the tank 30 need not be emptied below the level of the opening 37 in order to provide for the removal of the evaporating means 21.

In an ice cream cabinet of the type disclosed, the tank 30 may have placed therein a plurality of food compartments 51, which may be cylindrical sleeves with their open ends connected to the cover 33 for the reception of ice cream cans or the like. An insulated cover 53 may be placed over the metal cover 33 in order to prevent refrigeration losses through the cover 33. Cylindrical insulated lids 52 may be provided to be in alignment with the sleeves 51 and may rest on the insulated cover 53.

Means-forming insulation at-the opening 57 permitting the removal of the evaporating means may be provided. Thus a rectangularly insulated lid 54 may be placed over the recess 35 and insulating material such as Kapock 56 may be placed within the recess after the evaporator 21 has been secured in place. An opening 57, suitably lined by a sleeve, if desired, may be made in the insulatedcover 53 and may be in axial alignment with the opening 37 in order to provlde for the vertical removal or insertion of the evaporator 21. Y

The ice cream cabinet may be provided with side anels 58 secured to the metal frames 32, if desired. One of these panels 58 may be provided with an openin closed by a plate 59. Upon the removal of the plate 59, as by loosening the screws 60, some of the insulating material 56 may be removed laterally and the plate 44 (Fig. 5) may be removed laterally from the cabinet through the last named opening for the repair or adjustment of the parts carried by said plate 44.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the evaporating means to be placed inside of the tank may include the boiler'40a and the depending pipes or loops 38. The opening 37a may be provided in'the top 33a of a tank 30a similar to the tank shown in Fig. 2 with the exception that the downwardly directed recess 35 may be omitted. The boiler 40a may be provided with a flange 61, which is adapted to be secured to theside-62 of-the tank 30a, for instance, by providin a ring 63 pinching the side 62 of the tank etween the ring 63 and the flange 61 by means of the bolts 64. A plate, not shown, and similar to the plate 44 of Fig. 5 may be secured to the boiler 40a inside of the flange construction 61 so that such a plate may be removed laterally by the removal of a plate 59a similarly as in the case of Fig. 2. The construction of the plate 44 is more fully disclosed in the patent to Osborn herein referred to. When it is desired to removethe entire refrigerant evaporating means including the boiler 40a and loops or tubes 38, the plate 39a may be removed, for instance, by loosening the bolts 65. The bolts 64 may be loosened and the pipes 22 and 23 may be disconnected after which the evaporating means may be removed through the opening 370. It is thus seen that, in this embodiment, the evaporating means may be removed through the opening 37a in the metal cover 33a, and that the liquid in the tank need not be emptied below the opening in the side 62 of the tank.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, a drinking water cooling apparatus or cabinet may be provided with an insulated tank 71. This tank may be rectangular in horizontal cross section also if desired. Drinking water may be introduced into the tank 71 through the inlet pipe 72 and may be withdrawn through the faucet 73. A waste water drainmeans 74 may be mounted on the water cooling apparatus and the pipe 75 may lead to any' waste water receptacle desired. A box-like metal frame 76 may support the tank 71, for instance, through the medium of a stiff piece of insulation 77a on the bottom of the tank and within this framework insulation 7 7 may be placed around the sides and bottom of the tank in a manner somewhat similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. The tank 71 may be rovided with 'a metal cover 78 which, in t is particular embodiment, may be formed integral with the sides of the tank. An opening 79b may of the-plate '79a. The evaporating meansmay be removed after the removal of cover 79 by loosening the bolts 41 in a manner similar to Fig. 2. Metal panels 81 maybe placed around the sides of the cabinet and an opening in the side of the cabinet may be covered by the removable plate 82 similar to the plate 59 so that the evaporator plate 44 may be removed laterally in the same manner as'shown in Fig. 2. In this particular,

' embodiment the evaporating means 38' may be removed from the tank without disturbing the contents of the tank since after the water under pressure has been turned off no water will flow outof thetank upon the removal of the plate 39 from the cover 78.

The refrigerant liquefying unit, such as an electrically driven compressor, together with an air cooled condenser and liquid refrigerant receiver may be placed in the lower compartment 85 of the cabinet 70. This 'opemng, refrigerant evaporating means rerefrigerant liquefying unit may be connected to the evaporator by means of the pipes 22 and.

While the'form of'embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a pre ferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all comingv within the scope of the claims which follow. What is claimed is as'follows:

tank being horizontal, with said header above and said ducts below said plate.

3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a tank for h uid to be cooled, a cover for said tank having an o ning a plate on said cover for closing sai openmg, refri erant evapora mg means removable from sai tank comprising a header secured above said plate, and refrigerant ducts connected to said header and extending from the bottom of said plate into said tank, said plate, header and ducts being removable from said tank. In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

JESSE G. KING.

1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a closed tank for liquid to be cooled, said tank having an opening, a plate for closing said movable from said tank through said opening, said evaporating means comprising a refrigerant header on one .side of said plate, and ducts on the other side of said plate extending into said tank and connected'to said header.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a closed tank for liquid to be cooled, said tank having an opening, a plate for closing said opening, refrigerant evaporating meahs removable from said tank through said opening, said openin bein located in the top of said tank, said p ate w en position on said 

